There is a lot of political news going on in America. It is very clear that Trump and Cruz are extremists. The truth is that the West is hated not because of democracy or freedom. The West is hated by many, because of our foreign policy and because of Western imperial exploitation in the world. Since the enslavement of Africans and the genocide of Native Americans, Western imperialists have used lies, revisionism, and terrorism in the four corners of the Earth. We are in a class struggle too. In other words, we don’t want a bourgeoisie clique to control society. We want a unified front of the working class, poor, homeless, disabled, and other oppressed people fighting for human liberation. The community and the masses of the people have every right to control their own institutions. The oppressed are treated as a domestic colony in America and throughout the Earth. Since the Voting Rights Act of 1965, many black elected officials have grown massively. Yet, we see a great growth of economic inequality since 1965. While Cruz and Trump are overt in their evil advocacy of Islamophobia, xenophobia, sexism, etc. Hillary Clinton is also slick to try to present herself as politically progressive, but her foreign policy positions are nearly identical to a Republican establishment leadership. She supports AIPAC (which supports neo-conservativism and is silent on modern day apartheid), she has a hard line position on Iran, and she believes in drone strikes in the Middle East plus Africa. Hillary falsely called the BDS movement as anti-Semitic. There are many Jewish peace activists who support the BDS movement. In America, we have lead poisoning in Flint, Michigan and in other locations nationally. The children victims in Flint will suffer a huge amount of pain for decades. Michigan Governor Snyder and EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy refuse to resign over their actions. According to the USA Today, almost 2,000 more water systems spanning all 50 states where testing has shown excessive levels of lead contamination over the past 4 years. There is no question that both Snyder and McCarthy should resign. Also, we realize that we are an international people and the international liberation of humanity is just as important as the national improvement of society. Therefore, we want international human liberation.

There are many questions about the Brussels and Paris attacks. NATO officials have supported the militias who are trying to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Many Western intelligence agencies monitored many ISIS terrorists. On March 22 in Brussels, ISIS operatives identified as terrorists to state authorities, the El Bakraoui brothers, were able to prepare and carry out attacks, even though Belgian officials had been warned of the timing and targets of the attacks. The intelligence community knew that Islamist militias were not only trying to get rid of Assad, but they wanted to organize terror attacks in Europe. These signals included the May 24, 2014 shooting at the Jewish Museum in Brussels carried out by Mehdi Nemmouche, an ISIS fighter from nearby Roubaix, in France. The Times notes, “Even when the police found a video in his possession, in which he claimed responsibility for the attack next to a flag bearing the words ‘Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,’ Belgium’s deputy prosecutor, Ine Van Wymersch, dismissed any connection. ‘He probably acted alone,’ she told reporters at the time.” In fact, a review of Nemmouche’s phone records by the intelligence agencies showed that he was in close touch with Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the public face of ISIS’ social media recruiting operations, who subsequently led the November 13 ISIS attack in Paris. The Times writes, “In the months before the Jewish museum attack, Mr. Nemmouche’s phone records reveal that he made a 24-minute call to Mr. Abaaoud, according to a 55-page report by the French National Police’s anti-terror unit in the aftermath of the Paris attacks.” Many ISIS allied people traveled freely across Europe to prepare to create mass terror attacks. So, the overarching point is that terrorism is evil and must be condemned no matter who does it.

The 24th James Bond film came out in 2015 and its name is Spectre. Sam Mendes is the director of the movie. The film was very expensive to create having a budget of about $245 million. In this movie, James Bond fights against the global criminal organization called Spectre. Spectre wants a global surveillance network. Yet, Bond works with British Intelligence too. So, Spectre and British Intelligence are two sides of the same coin (which deals with a hegemony seeking global influence in the world). The Aston Martin DB10 was driven by Bond (played by Daniel Craig) in the film. The movie has a lot of predictive programming and information about how the world is indeed much stranger than fiction. The James Bond character is a fictional character that is based on the novels written by Ian Fleming. Ian Fleming got his insights from his time as a naval intelligence officer, Agent OO7. Ironically, Daniel Craig appeared as Queen Elizabeth II’s escort in the opening ceremony video of the 2012 London Olympics, which shows the fictional story of how James Bond is tied to the British Royal system. In essence, the story of James Bond is a story of how James Bond wants to guard the elite’s interests. Ian Fleming’s novels and the James Bond movies have James Bond defending the British Empire ultimately and its interests globally. Historically, the British Empire has been complicit in imperialism, economic exploitation, murder, slavery, and other evils. The movie Spectre is about different factions of the global power structure fighting each other for the same goal, which is the takeover of the world system (or the new world order). Spectre has James Bond fighting a mysterious enemy with global reach. James Bond in one scene is walking with people in Mexico celebrating Dia de los Muertos or the Day of the Dead. James Bond works for the British government and MI6 and the Spectre group is representative of the global, occult elite that works behind the scenes. The octopus is the logo of the Spectre organization in the movie. The Octopus has tentacles everywhere hence the symbol. In real life, the octopus is the logo of the US National Reconnaissance Organization. That group has its spy satellite NROL-39, which his used for mass surveillance in space. Its logo has an octopus over Earth with the words “Nothing is beyond our reach.” Spectre in the film acts as a surveillance group too.

Spectre gathers in secret meetings in palaces made by the elite for the elite (just like many of the real elite do in real life). The secret meeting of Spectre happens in midnight in Rome (or the witching hour in occult circles) where human sacrifice takes place. During that meeting, a German speaker outlines the “successes” of Spectre, which are perfectly in line with the real world elite’s nefarious agenda. Not a lot of fiction going on there. One these “successes” is particularly creepy: The speaker talks about 160,000 migrated females who have been placed in the “leisure sector”. The “leisure sector” means prostitution. This fictional speech is similar to the migration crisis caused by Western elites via war, and murder (which resulted in human trafficking, rise of far right fascist groups, and other evils). Over 10,000 refugee children are already missing. So, the film has Spectre trying to subvert world governments to cause a worldwide surveillance (in essence a New World Order). Indeed, in one scene, an agent tells Bond: “In three days, there’s a security conference in Tokyo to decide the New World Order”. How blatant can you get. The movie has Spectre using its agents to infiltrate the British government (with one person named “C”) to get the New World Order going. C uses certain phraseology like: “We’re going to bring British Intelligence out of the Dark Ages and into the light.” In movie, C says that following words: “Do not let them tell you we need less surveillance. We need more. Much more. I say again, the Nine Eyes committee would have full access to the combined intelligence streams of all member states. More data, more analysis, less likelihood of terrorist attacks.” The meeting wants participating nations to be subjected to a vote to get the worldwide surveillance agenda moving forward. South Africa says no and terrorism happens in South Africa.

It is a historical fact that terrorism (whether false flag acts or independent terrorist attacks) are used by the elites to promote drastic police state actions and other authoritarian actions. This is what the Western establishment has done since the Paris attacks. We see new surveillance laws and anti-migrant fervor in the world. Ernst Stavro Blofeld is the villain with his right eye closed (so, he sees with only one eye). He talks about “Our of horror, beauty” which is similar to the motto of the Masonic Scottish Rite “Ordo Ab Chao” or Order out of Chaos. James Bond in the film has sex with women. James Bond portrays himself as a hero for freedom and democracy, but he’s a puppet of the same system. The British government and Spectre are both twins of the same coin. Even James Bond has a microchip implanted in him. So, he is tracked. Nanotechnology is mentioned in the film. Blofeld isn’t killed. He’s arrested under the Special Measures Act of 2001, which is a reference to the “Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act of 2001”, which came into law in Britain on December 14, 2001. This law is England’s version of the Patriot Act: A massive bundle of restrictive laws that were rushed through the Parliament in the wake of 9/11. It is odd that Blofeld (who uses terror to promote mass surveillance worldwide) is arrested when the law that he’s arrested under wants mass surveillance. The movie was a slick way of telling people what the views and intentions of the Western establishment are. James Bond is fighting for the UK (like many people in the USA) when its government has promoted the Big Brother agenda with its mass surveillance laws. Therefore, the truth is shown in plain view.

Monday, March 28, 2016

The construction of the World Trade Center has a long history. The Twin Towers was created as a product of a urban renewal project and it was spearheaded by David Rockefeller. David Rockefeller and other wanted to “revitalize” Lower Manhattan. The project was planned explicitly by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. They hired architect Minoru Yamasaki, who was an American architect, to create plans for building the structure. On September 20, 1962, the Port Authority announced the selection of Minoru Yamasaki as lead architect and Emery Roth & Sonsas associate architects. Yamasaki's original plan called for the towers to be 80 stories tall, but to meet the Port Authority's requirement for 10,000,000 square feet (930,000 m2) of office space, the buildings would each have to be 110 stories tall. Yamasaki came up with the idea of building twin towers. There was many extensive negotiations. The New Jersey and New York State government, which supervised the Port Authority, agreed to the construction of the World Trade Center at the Radio Row site. That site was located in the lower west area of Manhattan. To satisfy the New Jersey government, the Port Authority agreed to buy the bankrupt Hudson & Manhattan Railroad (renamed to Port Authority Trans-Hudson), which transported commuters from New Jersey to Lower Manhtattan. The towers were designed as framed tube structures, giving tenants open floor plans, unobstructed by columns or walls. This design was accomplished by using many closely spaced perimeter columns, providing much of structure's strength, with the gravity load shared with the core columns. The elevator system, which made use of sky lobbies and a system of express and local elevators, allowed substantial floor space to be used for office purposes by making the structural core smaller. The design and construction of the towers involved many other innovative techniques, such as wind tunnel experiments and the slurry wall for digging the foundation. The construction of the North Tower began in 1966. World Trade Center One was completed by December 23, 1970. When completed in 1973, the South Tower, Two World Trade Center (the South Tower) became the second tallest building in the world at 1,362 feet (415 m); the South Tower's rooftop observation deck was 1,362 ft (415 m) high and its indoor observation deck was 1,310 ft (400 m) high. Each tower stood over 1,350 feet (410 m) high, and occupied about 1 acre (4,000 m2) of the total 16 acres (65,000 m2) of the site's land. World Trade Center 2 was completed in July 19, 1971. The complex of WTC 4, 5, and 6 was completed in 1975. WTC 3 was finished in July 1981. World Trade Center Number Seven was completed in 1987. The opening of the original World Trade Center came about in April 4, 1973.

The Seven Years’ War was a war that was prelude to the Revolutionary War. It was one of the first world wars in world history. It was fought between 1755 and 1764 and the main conflict lasted from 1756 to 1763 (which was about seven years). The war was fought in the Americas, West Africa, Europe, India, and in the Philippines. The war dealt with the competition between Great Britain and France (among other European nations) for the imperial control of many nations in the world. During the course of the War, Great Britain allied with Prussia, Portugal, Hanover, Brunswick,-Wolfenbuttel, the Iroquois Confederacy, and other nations. France allied with the Holy Roman Empire, Austria, Saxony, Russia (until 1762), Spain (from 1762), many Native American tribes, and the Mughal Empire (from 1757). In America, France controlled the Mississippi river valley heavily with the construction of their own forts and trading positions. English colonists wanted to travel in the region, especially in the Ohio Valley. By 1753, then 21 year old Major George Washington left Williamsburg, Virginia to the Ohio Valley. Virginia’s governor Robert Dinwiddie has sent Washington to order the French to abandon the string of forts they are building between Lake Erie and the Forks of the Ohio River (the confluence of the Ohio, Monongahela, and Allegheny Rivers). Robert wanted Washington to stop the French from preventing English settlements. Lt. Colonel Washington defeated a French force near the Great Meadows in May 28, 1754. British attempts to halt this fort construction were unsuccessful, and the French proceeded to build the fort they named Fort Duquesne. British colonial militia from Virginia was then sent to drive them out. Led by George Washington, they ambushed a small French force at Jumonville Glen on 28 May 1754 killing ten, including commander Jumonville. Washington worked with his ally or Seneca chief Tanaghrisson to attack the French people captured. The French commandeer was killed and the victims were scalped too. Later, a French force of 700 attack George Washington and his 400 troops at Fort Necessity in retaliation for the massacre of the French at the Great Meadows. Washington surrenders and leaves the Ohio Valley. The Mohawks left the alliance with Britain and proclaimed neutrality.

The first British action was the assault on Acadia on 16 June 1755 in the Battle of Fort Beauséjour,[8] which was immediately followed by their expulsion of the Acadians. The major conflict started in 1756 when both France and Britain declare war officially against each other. King Frederick II of Prussia was a great ally of Britain and he gained many early victories in Germany and then as years came about, he suffered defeats. The French captured Fort Oswego in the Great Lakes in August 14, 1756. William Pitt was the secretary of State. He promotes sending resources to defeat the French in America and in Europe. He will authorize the raising of 23,000 provincial troops in North America in 1758, and will end squabbling over taxation by guaranteeing the colonial assemblies that Parliament will cover all expenses. The huge defeat of the British in 1758 caused 2,000 casualties for the British. In the same year, the British captured the French port on Nova Scotia called Louisbourg. This caused the British to restrict heavily the French supply lines flowing down the Saint Lawrence River. General James Wolfe in 1759 attacks Quebec and the French retreat to Montreal. Wolfe was killed in battle. The French (with Governor General Vauderueil of New France) surrendered Montreal or the last French stronghold in North America without firing a shot when a British army of 17,500 British regulars, American provincial troops, and Indians converge on the city from three directions. While the Iroquois allied with the British. In Africa, Britain captured Gambia from the French. The Treaty of Paris of 1763 was the beginning of the end of the War. Complex land exchanges were the end result of the War. The Treaty allows Great Britain to get territories east of the Mississippi River, Canada (except Saint Pierre and Miquelon), and the island of Grenada. The Northern Circars go to Great Britain. Louisiana west of the Mississippi River goes to Spain. Great Britain receives Florida from Spain. The war caused a huge financial burden on France and Great Britain. Great Britain became the most powerful European nation in that time and France decreased in power. Prussia also increased its power after the Treaty of Paris. The British forced American colonists to pay the bills for the war via taxes and other policies. This was part of the anger from the colonists (from the Thirteen Colonies) which would expand into the Revolutionary War. So, the Seven Years War was one crucial factor in causing the Revolutionary War.

There is no question about what Donald Trump's nefarious agenda is all about. Donald Trump supports torture and considers using nuclear weapons in the Middle East, which will kill civilians and is a violation of international law. He supports AIPAC, which refutes the lie that he is some how some populist leader. AIPAC is a corporate sponsored establishment organization. AIPAC supports neo-conservativism, slanders the BDS movement as anti-Semitic, and promotes other evils. He has not condemned the Western terrorism committed against the people of Yemen, Somalia, other places in Iraq, and other places of the world. We know that, for centuries, the West has executed real terrorism in the four corners of the Earth. The CIA and the FBI are known for using terrorism. It is the Sykes-Picot Agreement (created by Western Powers) from the early 20th century that contributed the problems that we face in the Middle East. As we realize that America is not God, but Trump wants to "make America great again." The question is that where does he want America revert back into? The people of the View told the truth to Ben Carson. Trump called Carson many disrespectful names. He or Trump has disrespected women, Muslims, immigrants, and other human beings. Trump has called women perverted, evil names without an apology. Anyone that disrespects women is lower than low. Trump's extremists proves that harsh far right rhetoric unfortunately hasn't ended in American society. Yet, Carson wants to support Trump still. Ben Carson is just plain wrong. Trump has incited violence by wanting to encourage his supporters to punch a protester in the face. He refuses to increase the national federal minimum wage by any amount.

So, Trump is a fascist. We know that both major parties (including the Democrats as we know about the DLC and Hillary's ties to corporate power) in their leadership are funded by Wall Street/corporate interests. We have a long history in combating fascism and we will continue to fight fascism in our generation. Donald Trump is part of the capitalist Republican Party, which is party filled with racists, xenophobes, religious theocratic extremists, warmongers, and Wall Street financial oligarchs. The Reagan and Bush administrations alone expanded the deficit, violated civil liberties, and caused other economic problems in America. People know the truth. Trumps's support of mass killings of the families of terrorists, mass deportations (without the due process of law even), banning all Muslims from coming into America (which is against international law and national law as many Muslims who travel into America from other countries are American citizens. Most Muslims in the world aren't rapists, murderers, and thieves. Real Muslims include people like Muhammad Ali, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and Chuck D from Public Enemy. It is the policies of the West via imperialism that contributed to the migrant crisis in Europe in the first place), policies that strife the First Amendment (by expanding the use of libel laws with exorbitant fines to muzzle the political opposition), etc. shows why I don't support the agenda of Donald Trump at all.

Nixak*77* 3 days ago
IMO this meme that Billary is a sure loser vs Trump [or Cruz or Kasich], really needs to be interrogated. FYI: The only group Trump has a clear advantage w vs Billary is white-men [= about 1/3 of US voters], but she has a clear advantage over him w just about everyone else IE: women, Blacks, Hispanics, Muslim Americans, Native Americans, etc, ect, etc...[= 2/3s of US voters]. So If Trumps wins 2/3s of white men's vote but only 1/3rd of everyone else [IMO Billary will win Blacks, Hispanics & Muslims vs Trump by at-least a 7, 8 or 9 to 1 margin(s]- that comes out to 55 - 56% for Billary vs 44-45% for Trump. Even if Trump gets 3/4s of white men's vote he still ends up w 47% vs Billary's 53%. But if she wins 3/4s of all non white-male voters, she'd win by as much 60-61% to Trump's 39 - 40%.
Thus IMO the only way Trumps has any real shot at beating Billary head to head, is he must really energize Repug voters, while at the same time there's a mass defection of Sandernistas to vote for the GP's Jill Stein- which IMO is quite unlikely [especially NOT w Trump or even Cruz waiting in the {right's} 'Wings'], though IMO that would NOT necessarily be a bad thing in the long run.
- But Also Note: This Trump phenomenon is in real danger of causing a split-rift among Repugs, which such a rift would virtually guarantee the Dims win the Oval Office, NO matter if it's Billary or Bernie!!!

NO that's NOT correct. After Super- Tues, Obama & Billary were neck & neck, & then Obama gained a slight lead- especially after the late Ted Kennedy enthusiastically endorsed Obama vs Billary- such that by April 4th 2008 Obama had a slight lead that Billary was never able to quite make-up.
From the Wa-Post March 30, 2015: 'How Ted Kennedy Helped Change the Course of the 2008 Election': } Seven years ago, Ted Kennedy changed the course of the 2008 Democratic presidential primary. He endorsed Barack Obama over Hillary Clinton.
- To have the brother of John and Bobby Kennedy tell the Democratic party — and the country — that the junior Illinois senator [Obama] was the heir to he and his brothers' political legacy was a momentously powerful moment.
- Ted Kennedy's endorsement came at a critical time for Obama; he had won the South Carolina primary by almost 30 points over Clinton two days earlier. It had begun to dawn on everyone that he just might be the nominee. Kennedy's endorsement codified that sense, fueling momentum and energy that helped Obama virtually sweep the caucuses that populated the calendar that February and, in so doing, build an unassailable delegate lead... {
But NOW There's NO Ted Kennedy equivalent to endorse Bernie over Billary- except Obama himself- Yet as we see...! Heck even 'progressive' Dim Liz Warren who now sits in the Late Ted Kennedy's long held Mass' Senate seat- Failed to endorse Bernie in Mass St- which quite likely would have turned his narrow loss there into a WIN for Him!!!
- Ditto for Alan Grayson in FL- though unlike in Mass St, Grayson's endorsement could NOT have helped Bernie overcome a 2 to 1 loss there!

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A Few Things to Take Note Of: When asked by Jessica, Dr Ahmed failed to say that CAGW / 'climate-change' had any definitive link to this African drought- he effectively left that as an open question that needs further investigative research.
When Jessica asked Dr Ahmed if the drought resistant seeds / crops he's recommending were GMO, he did NOT categorically say NO [he said NOT necessarily], but mainly focused on use of NON-GMO drought resistant seeds / crops.
What Dr Ahmed failed to talk about re this African drought & Africa's water crisis in general... - In Kenya they recently discovered an underground aquifer that's large enough to supply Kenya's current fresh-water needs for at-least 75 - 100 Yrs.
Also note that Libya's Late Col Khadaffi's 'Great Man-Made River Proj, discovered & tapped into a HUGE underground aquifer in the Sahara, that's estimated to be able to supply Libya's pre March 2011 fresh-water needs for a whopping 40,000 - 75-000 YRS!!! That's enough fresh-water to begin 'greening' large swaths of the Sahara- including greatly aiding w reducing Ethiopia's current sever drought-driven fresh-water shortage!!
- Note: Libya's pop in March 2011 was 6.5 Million- Thus this HUGE fresh-water aquifer Khadaffi's man-made river proj tapped into, could in theory supply the needs of 65 Million people for 4000 - 7500 Yrs, or 650 Million people for 400 - 750Yrs [= 1.3 billion for 200 - 375 YRS - Africa's current pop: 1.1 billion].
- So exactly WHY is there such a water-crisis in sooo much of Africa??!!

Nixak*77* a day ago
NOTE: It was confirmed at Liberia's ex dictator Charles Taylor's ICC trial, which convicted him for War-Crimes in Sierra Leone re so-called 'blood' diamonds [yet there's far more blood on Taylor's hands re the Liberian Civil War that killed up to 1/4 - 1/3 of a MILLION people]- that Taylor was on the CIA's PAY-Roll during Liberia's civil-War & presumably for some time after he seized power!!! Yet the ICC gave Mr CIA / 'Skull{duggery} & Bones' Bush Sr's regime [POTUS at the time Taylor allegedly 'escaped' from a maximum security prison & then 'escaped' out of the US to start that Hellishly BLOODY civil-war]- A Complete PASS & 'white'-wash!!!
So why would it be any different re the ICC conviction of this ex Congo VP & military commander, while giving Slick Willy Clinton's regime [Bush Sr's successor]- Yet Another Complete PASS??!!

YOU are a so-called 'omnivore' [by a 'culture' of 'meat-eating tradition']- NOT Me!!!
So are you 4 legged, have paws & claws instead of hands w fingers & feet w toes, hunt & track down your prey & then kill it w your bare 'paws' & powerful jaws w long razor sharp canine teeth, & then eat you prey BLOODY-Raw - without cooking, seasoning, etc...???
If you can indeed answer yes to all of these questions, then I'll concede the YOU are indeed a natural predator = 'omnivores' / carnivores!!!

-Nixak*77*

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Nixak*77* ogredragon a day ago
'NO hominin fossils were found in DIRECT Association with the Gona tools or the Bouri cut-marked bones...'
- 'Most paleoanthropologists 'BELIEVE' these tools were made and used by early members of the genus Homo....'
As I said such evidence is WIDE-Open to 'interpretation' generally by folks w a Darwinian meat-eaters' mind-set!!!
- FYI: Many / most of these very same paleoanthropologists claim that early proto-hominins actually ate raw-bloody & even rotten meat BEFORE the development of spear-points [to hunt & kill game w] & the controlled use of fire [to cook w]- Which it's blatantly obvious these are the absolute minimum requirements for humans to even try to hunt & eat meat w any real degree of regularity at-all!! Cause Raw-Rotten meat consumption is a classic deadly contagious-disease & plague carrier- IE: Flu, trichinosis, measles, small-pox, HIV, Ebola, E-Coli, Salmonella, etc, etc, etc... Thus obviously had proto-hominins regularly consumed raw & even rotten uncooked meat, these [or some other type of] notorious contagious plagues contained in [raw] meat would have KILLED OFF ALL of the small handful of early humans well BEFORE they ever even got the chance to develop the spear-point to hunt w & controlled use of fire for cooking- Duhh!!!

-Nixak*77*

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Nixak*77* tkent26 20 hours ago
The biggest KILLER in the US is heart disease from clogged arteries. So what clogs up those arteries- CHOLESTEROL! Yet some how you're CON-vinced eating a SAD meat-based diet packed w Cholesterol & Saturated FAT has got jack to do w that- Humm...
Over half the US population is either over-weight or even out-right Obese. Yet some how you're CON-vinced that the US SAD meat-based Hi-FAT & hi-sugar [& hi-salt too] diet, has got jack to do w that too- Humm....
FYI: Ex POTUS Bill Clinton is now a total vegan as is his ex VP Al ['Green Jeans'] Gore, after Clinton's 2 failed triple by-pass heart surgeries [due to clogged heart arteries filled w cholesterol]...
PS: [non-GMO] Soy & chick-peas [among others] have just as much protein content as meat does, but [unlike meat] without any cholesterol at-all & relatively low amounts of saturated-fat. That's why 90% of soy grown in the US is used to quickly fatten cattle & pigs for the meat-market slaughter [instead of feeding soy's hi-quality & hi-levels of protein directly to people]!!!
PS-2: There are at-least a half billion [to up to a billion] vegan / vegetarians already in the world, vs how many exclusively raw meat & bug eaters??!
PS-3: These famous / world class vegan / vegetarian athletes prove your body can perform at a hi-level & get all the essential nutrients one needs without needing to eat meat: Bill Walton, Robert Parish, Pau Gasol [NBA]; Ricky Williams, Tony Gonzales, Herschel Walker [NFL]; Prince Fielder, 'Hammering' Hank Aaron [Baseball]; Carl Lewis, Edwin Moses [Track]; Venus & Serena Williams, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert [Tennis]...
- They are all PROVE that a well balanced plant-based diet DOES NOT impair [& in fact may even improve] physical abilities IE: strength, speed, power & endurance- & even longevity!

-Nixak*77*

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No question that so-called 'refined' [actually denatured] carbs & trans-fat, are indeed factors as is smoking & alcohol abuse. But... -
} Bill Clinton traces his decision to change his diet [to vegan] in Feb 2010 when he woke up looking pale & feeling tired. His cardiologist quickly took Clinton to the hospital to perform emergency heart surgery, after one of Clinton's veins had given-out, following his quadruple-bypass surgery of 2004....
'I just decided I was a HI-Risk person, & did NOT want to fool w this anymore. I wanted to LIVE to be a grandfather, So I decided to pick the diet [vegan] that would maximize my chances of long term survival.'... { - Ex POTUS Bill Clinton on why he decided on a vegan diet- after 2 failed heart-surgeries. PS: He's NOT had such a surgery since. Yet you don't think cholesterol had jack to do w his previous heart woes for clogged-up arteries [& weight issues too] Huhh??
-
-
As for Carl Lewis- I named 15 world class athletes who were / are vegans / vegetarians- & you chose 1 out of those 15! Well...
Carl Lewis' career spanned from 1979-80 to 1996-97- } Lewis credits his outstanding 1991 results in part to the vegan diet he adopted in 1990, when he was in his late twenties. He claimed it's better suited to him because he can eat a larger quantity without affecting his athleticism and he believes that switching to a vegan diet can lead to improved athletic performance...
So let's see what Lewis did after 1990:
1991 World Championships: Lewis' GREATEST Performance:
- Tokyo was the venue for the 1991 World Championships. In the 100 m final, Lewis faced the two men who ranked number one in the world the past two years: his ex Univ of Houston team-mate Leroy Burrell and Jamaican Raymond Stewart. In what would be the deepest 100 meters race ever to that time, with 6 men finishing in under 10 seconds, Lewis not only defeated his opponents, he reclaimed the World Record with a clocking of 9.86 s. Though previously a world-record holder in this event, this was the first time he had crossed the line with "WR" beside his name on the giant television screens, and the first time he could savor his achievement at the moment it occurred.
"The best race of my life," Lewis said. "The best technique, the fastest. And I did it at thirty." Lewis's world record would stand for nearly 3 years. Lewis additionally anchored the 4 × 100 m relay team to another world record, 37.50 s, the third time that year he had anchored a 4 × 100 m squad to a World Record.
Long jump showdown vs Mike Powell:
- The 1991 World Championships are perhaps best remembered for the long jump final, considered by some to have been one of greatest competitions ever in any sport. Lewis was up against his main rival of the last few years, Mike Powell, the silver medalist in the event from the 1988 Olympics and the top-ranked long jumper of 1990...
- Lewis' reaction to what was one of the greatest competitions ever in the sport was to offer acknowledgment of the achievement of Powell. "He just did it," Lewis said of Powell's winning jump. "It was that close, and it was the best of his life."
- In reference to his efforts at the 1991 World Championships, Lewis said, "This has been the greatest meets that I've ever had." Track and Field News was prepared to go even further than that, suggesting that after these Championships, "It had become hard to argue that he is not the greatest athlete ever to set foot on track or field." Lewis's 1991 outstanding results earned him the ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year...
- In the 1992 Olympics, while Lewis was beat-out by [the great] Micheal Johnson [who was on the up-side of his great career] in the 100m & 200m, he did qualify for the long jump, finishing second behind Powell, and was eligible for the 4 × 100 m relay team. At the Games in Barcelona, Lewis jumped 8.67 m (28 ft 5.25 in) in the first round of the long jump, beating Powell who did a final-round 8.64 m (28 ft 4 in). In the 4 × 100 m relay, Lewis anchored another world record, in 37.40 s, a time which stood for 16 years. He covered the final leg in 8.85 seconds, the FASTEST Officially Recorded Anchor Leg...
- In 1993 Lewis earned his first World Championship medal in the 200 m, a bronze with his 19.99 s performance. That medal would prove to be his final Olympic or World Championship medal in a running event. INJURIES kept Lewis largely sidelined for the next few years, then he made a COMEBACK for the 1996 season.
- Lewis qualified for the American Olympic team for the FIFTH Time in the long jump, the ONLY American man who has done so. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, injuries to world-record holder Mike Powell and the leading long-jumper in the world, Iván Pedroso, affected their performances. Lewis, on the other hand, was in good form. Though he did not match past performances, his third-round leap of 8.50 m (27 ft 10.5 in) won gold by 0.21 m (0 ft 8.25 in) over second-place James Beckford of Jamaica. Thus He became one of only three Olympians to win the same individual event four times... {
For a man on the so-called 'decline' into his mid to late 30s, most track athletes can only DREAM of accomplishing what Lewis accomplished from 1990 - 96 [several World championships & World Records in both sprints & the long jump plus several Olympic gold, silver & bronze medals in long jumps & relays] all while in his 'declining' yrs due to- veganism? Or was it a combo of his age [past 30] & long career??? How many athletes perform at such a Hi-Level past age 30 to 35?? Hell all time tennis great Pete Sampras retired at age 30!!

-Nixak*77*

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Here's what BAR's Margaret Kimberley says about Obama's picking Judge Garland as his SCOTUS court nominee: Obama's Dims SCOTUS Scam [@ http://blackagendareport.com/o... ]: } The Obama “legacy” will likely include the appointment of a U.S. Supreme Court justice that Republicans would welcome – if only Obama hadn’t been the appointer. Federal judge Merrick Garland is a former prosecutor whose politics suits Obama’s core conservative instincts. The president is leaving office just like he came in, pulling a “bait and switch” on his Democratic base and blaming the Republicans for making him do it. - “Republican obstruction is once again giving Obama cover to be the conservative he has always been.” {
Thus- Frankly I'm surprised Obama even nominated Justice Sotomayor to the SCOTUS Court!!
PS: BAR's Bruce Dixon wrote a piece a few yrs ago, explaining how Obama as IL's Jr Sen along w then 'liberal Dim' Mass Sen John Kerry, had the chance to & initially indicated they'd block [or try to] the appointments of Roberts & Alito to the SCOTUS Court- but then reneged on their promises & then actually voted to approve both those appointments by Repug Bush Jr's Regime! And it was Obama's VP Joe Biden who as a key Dim Sen [from NJ] helped pave the way / run interference for Uncle Judge Thomas to get a seat on the SCOTUS Court!!

The attacks in Brussels have been talked about by people globally. The U.S. Presidential candidates have called for a stepped up war and police measures in response to the terrorist attacks. Both the Republican and Democratic Presidential candidates have declared their support for militarism and attacks on democratic rights. They may disagree on proposals, but they agree on more repression from drone missile attacks and bombing in the Middle East to torture of prisoners including to mass detentions of Muslims within the United States. There billionaire Donald Trump leads the contest for the Republican nomination. Trump not only wants to ban Muslims from entering America. He has advocated the use of torture of prisoners and he considers using nuclear weapons in the Middle East to fight ISIS when nuclear weapons used anyplace on Earth will kill civilians and damage the environment for generations. He told CNN that the Belgian authorities should have tortured Salah Abdelslam, the alleged terror conspirator arrested last week on charges related to the November 2015 Paris attacks. “I would be willing to bet that he knew about this bombing that took place today,” Trump said Tuesday. Cruz wants to bar refugees from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and most other Middle Eastern states, and conceivably could be applied to the whole of Europe as well. Ted Cruz also wants the government to allow law enforcement to patrol Muslim neighborhoods in profiling. He wants spies into mosques and in other places as well to conduct surveillance against innocent Muslims citizens. This is wrong and extremist. This spying (done in New York City) was illegal, unconstitutional and totally ineffective as an “antiterrorism” program. It was ultimately abandoned after a series of lawsuits, but Cruz claimed that Mayor Bill de Blasio dropped the policy only out of “political correctness.” That's incorrect, because the political repression of the rights of Muslim is antithetical to freedom and justice. What we have here is many Republicans promoting police state measures. Jeb Bush is now supporting Trump. The Democrats have criticized Trump and Cruz’s proposals, but they have endorsed the drone warfare and the bombings in the Middle East (that the Obama administration has supported).

Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cited the Brussels attacks as an argument for choosing “leadership that is strong, smart and above all steady,” and declared, “Today’s attacks will only strengthen our resolve to stand together as allies and defeat terrorism and radical jihadism around the world.” She also called for stepped-up state spying, saying, “We have to toughen our surveillance, our interception of communication.” Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders criticized the Cruz plan as unconstitutional. “We are fighting a terrorist organization,” he said, “a barbaric organization that is killing innocent people. We are not fighting a religion.” Sanders emphasized the war against ISIS in the Middle East. “We are making progress in Iraq,” he said. “ISIS is losing 20 percent of the territory it held last year, but clearly we’ve got to do more. We need to forge a coalition of the Muslim countries in the region, including some that have not been as active as they should be, with the support of the United States and other major powers to finally destroy this barbaric organization.” Also, we know the corporate agenda of both major parties. Hillary Clinton received thousands of dollars for speeches which have been funded by Wall Street interests like Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Co, and Morgan Stanley. Chelsea is married to a co-founder of the Eaglevale Partners LP hedge fund, Marc Mezvinsky. Donald Trump attended their wedding. The major candidates won’t desire the Federal Reserve to be nationalized and use credit to fund and rebuilt American infrastructure (which includes roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, water systems, sewer system, and the electrical grid). Also, the poor must have emergency relief as well. Corey Lewandowski is one of Trump’s agents. He is facing a lawsuit form a woman reporter who was assaulted. Trump’s racism, xenophobia, misogyny, Islamophobia, and authoritarian are repugnant. There is the news about ISIS's 2nd in command being killed in an U.S. raid by the Special Forces. There are stories and rumors about Trump’s alleged ties to the Mafia and many Tea Party people support Trump as well. So, fascism is our enemy. We believe in justice for all.

Wendy Bell's disturbing words aren't surprising. Tons of white people believe in her perspective. I have noticed that when a white person serially kills multiple people, people like Bell won't question the white murderer's parents and make generalizations about white people in general. Many of them will say that the white murderer just has mental illness, he was in the minority, and other excuses. Yet, it is a sick pastime in America to condemn every poor black person for the actions of a few. The reality is that black people collectively are not to be blamed for all problems in the black community. For example, a black worker being laid off has nothing to do with laziness or black people. It had to do with economic issues. The poisoning of many black people in Flint, Michigan has nothing to do with black people. It has to do with an oligarchy who poisoned innocent people. Therefore, respectability politics never works since by definition respectability politics strips the right of black people to embrace their own individuality and human freedom. We don't want to be made in the image of the white collective. We want to embrace our own black identity and follow standards of our own and a consciousness of our own. The promoters of white privilege and black scapegoating omit that we must improve ourselves and fight the system of racism/white supremacy at the same time. They are certainly jealous of black excellence, which is why white bigots reward black subservience to the status quo while expressing antipathy towards Black excellence. I welcome Black excellence. We are black people and a real conversation on race should be discussions on the elimination of the structures of racism, classism, sexism, patriarchy, and other injustices.

We certainly need to pool our resources as black people. The post World War II boom lasted from 1945 to 1975. Many people became middle class, the overall poverty rate was cut in half, and social movements (like civil rights, women rights, etc.) reached into new levels. Yet, that time wasn't an Utopia. Many people still suffered poverty, racism, sexism, etc. Many people during the Nixon years didn't felt massive heat over recreational drug use as compared to years in our generation. Yet, the War on Drugs did exist back long before Nixon. Author Johann Hari documents this. Likewise, Nixon is not some hero. Richard Nixon used his power to repress the Black Panther Party via covert and illegal means. Nixon supported the racist Southern Strategy during 1968 and 1972. Nixon executed war crimes overseas overseas too. Nixon used the CIA and the FBI to illegally monitor the civil rights and anti-war movements. Nixon was also silly enough to record conversations of himself making racist and anti-Semitic comments. The crack epidemic started in the Reagan administration (Ronald Reagan was a Republican and Reagan's far right agenda ruined the lives of many poor and black people. Homeless people in mass numbers protested for their rights under the tenure of Reagan) and it expanded during the Clinton administration (as both administrations harmed the black community in many enumerable ways). It was during the Reagan administration where people were locked up massively for small amounts in a higher level. Nixon started the modern version of the War on Drugs, but Reagan put it into the next level. As for Hillary Clinton, we know who Hillary is. She supported the murderous coup in Honduras, she supported the disastrous policies in Libya, she gave a speech in support of a group called AIPAC (which believes in neo-conservatism. Extremists like Donald Trump and Ted Cruz also praised AIPAC). We see that the corporate agenda is found in the political establishment. To only criticize Democrat neoliberals limits on what we should do. Both Republicans and Democrats, who are corrupt, must all be exposed. As for the election, I made a promise that I won't vote for Hillary. I will fulfill my promise. So, Hillary is a war hawk and an extremist on many issues. I will never vote for Trump either as he has publicly advocated torture. Trump is a total disgrace.

First, it is good news that hostages were rescued. There is much more to be done and we do realize that Boko Haram is a theocratic, terrorist, sexist, and very evil organization. We want Boko Haram to be defeated and that must come about via international collaborations, unified actions, and determination. This terror group has exploited the ethnic and religious diversity of Nigeria as a means for Boko Haram to promote war, torture, kidnapping, and other evils throughout the beautiful nation of Nigeria. Nigeria has the highest number of black people of any nation on Earth. Many of our ancestors came from Nigeria. So, we should know about the suffering of our people internationally and we are in solidarity with the heroic efforts of people who are rescuing victims. Also, we believe in the peaceful co-existence of Muslims, Christians, and animists who live in Nigeria. The lives of African men, women, and children matter. Serena Williams is completely right. Althea Gibson, Ora Washington, Zina Garrison, Billie King, and other great tennis players promoted the sport internationally. These women didn't need patronize or disrespect in order for them to express their talent. They expressed their talents by their own determination. The Williams Sisters propelled the sport into the next level also. Serena Williams is the greatest female tennis player of all time. Her accomplishments speak for themselves. During this generation, we should always reiterate the point that any woman has the right to stand, to be liberated, and to have equal rights without exception. Serena Williams' magnificent reply to a sexist person (who obviously doesn't know the totality of tennis history) was to the point, real, honest, and accurate. We all wish even more success for Sister Serena Williams.

The terror bombings in Brussels are evil and wrong. It took place in Tuesday morning in Brussels. 30 people died and these attacks wounded 230 people at Zaventem Airport and the Maelbeek metro station. Belgian authorities have created a gag order on their investigation of the attacks. ISIS or the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has claimed responsibility in a statement posted on its Amaq news agency. Innocent people have died in the attacks. We see imperial wars, police state measures, etc. since September 11, 2001 bombings. The disgraceful Ted Cruz wants to monitor innocent Muslims in mostly Muslim communities, which is evil. Profiling people based on religious creed is evil. Donald Trump has advocated torture overtly. Trump called for torturing Salah Abdeslam, who was captured in Brussels on Friday after four months on the run and charged with participating in the November 13 Paris attacks. “The waterboarding would be fine, and if they could expand the laws, I would do a lot more than waterboarding,” the Republican frontrunner said. Donald Trump believes that no Muslim can enter America. There is no evidence that torture will solve the problem of terrorism worldwide. This is why I will never vote for Cruz or Trump. Political pundits and the Western establishment have exploited these terror attacks as an excuse for them to promote the geopolitical and economic interests of the Western establishment. We should promote international unity of the working class and the poor. We should know how things in the contemporary Middle East existed in the first place. In France, where the Socialist Party (PS) has imposed an unpopular and anti-democratic state of emergency since the November 13 attacks in Paris, PS officials cited the attacks in Brussels to press the Senate to approve a PS amendment enshrining the state of emergency in the French Constitution. The leading contender for the Democratic nomination, Hillary Clinton, declared, “Today's attacks will only strengthen our resolve to stand together as allies against terrorism and radical jihadism around the world.”

She called for more pervasive mass spying by US and international intelligence agencies, saying “We have to toughen our surveillance, our interception of communication.” We should realize that new wars and new police state measures will not cause liberty or justice. We know that ISIS came after the illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003 by America (aided by European countries including Britain, Spain, and Italy on the basis of lying claims that the Iraqi government would give weapons of mass destruction to Al Qaeda), the war in Libya (waged by the US and NATO along with using Al-Qaeda linked militias as proxy ground forces), and the proxy war in Syria (which has been involved by US, Europe, and various militias). Many of these militias use terrorism in Syria in order to destabilize the Syrian government. Washington and its European allies have supported the Islamist opposition throughout this bloody rampage, turning against ISIS only gradually after it attacked the US puppet regime in Baghdad in the summer of 2014. Even then, as France's PS government bombed ISIS targets in Iraq, it stated it would not bomb ISIS targets in Syria. Paris refused to deny media reports that it was refraining from attacking ISIS in Syria in order to avoid weakening the anti-Assad forces. France began bombing ISIS in Syria only after the January 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo. Authorities are trying to find the alleged accomplices of Abdeslam including Najim Laachraoui and Mohamed Abrini. Laachraoui and Abrini, like virtually every other suspect involved in a string of terrorist attacks across North America, Europe, and Australia, were well known to Western security agencies, having both been documented as having traveled to Syria to fight against Damascus under ISIS, with Abrini having been arrested and jailed several times in the past, and Laachraoui already having a 2014 international arrest warrant issued for him in connection to a trial involving recruiting Europeans to fight for ISIS. The truth is that we are against terrorism and imperialism too.

My views on marijuana legalization as it relates to black Americans are the following. The War on Drugs is a failure. Alternatives should be done to not only save lives of those who experience drug addiction, but to protect the human rights of Americans in general. I believe in marijuana legalization for medical purposes. Also, marijuana prohibition is not enough. There must be an end to the war of Drugs and the end to laws that give massive sentences to those with nonviolent drug offenses. We have to address unfair sentencing practices and to combat the racist reality of how black people and non-black people use marijuana at similar rates, but black people on average serve longer sentences than non-blacks when dealing with nonviolent drug offenses. A long term goal is the the elimination of the prison industrial complex in general (as advocated by Angela Davis and other progressive human beings). Marijuana dispensaries are heavily controlled by the wealthy, by those with connections, and there are massive fees for people to participate in them. So, right now, these dispensaries are not extremely democratic. Wealth shouldn't be monopolized. So, marijuana dispensaries should change and be less monopolistic. There must be an end to the War on Drugs along with investments in jobs and education. Also, those, who have drug addiction, must have the adequate resources to assist them. The book called "Nixonland" shows the truth about Nixon and the War on Drugs. Yet, the War on Drugs existed long before Nixon. There was Harry Jacob Anslinger (who was the United States government official who served as the first commissioner of the U.S. Treasury Department's Federal Bureau of Narcotics) decades before Nixon promoting the war on Drugs in the black community and other communities. This isn't new information. Also, it is important to expose John Ehrlichman not just Nixon. John Ehrlichman was a notorious anti-black racist and he was an extremist. Nixon used policies to directly attack the Black Panther Party via raids, imprisonment, infiltration, and outright assassinations (as Fred Hampton was murdered under the reign of Nixon, Hoover, and Daley). The War on Drugs destabilized many places of Latin America. As other great people have mentioned here, white people with drug addiction are given much more sympathy and compassion by many in mainstream society than black people or people of color with the same drug addiction. This is one more piece of evidence that documents the extremism of the Nixon administration. Also, I do honor the sincere anti-war protesters decades ago who want real change against imperialism.

JFK, Jimmy Carter, and Bill Clinton tried to do this (or begin the process of the normalization of relations between America and Cuba) and failed. President Barack Obama is the first President to visit Cuba in 88 years. This is a very historic time and we want the best for the Cuban people. We want the expansion of democratic rights in Cuba. What we don't want is for Cuba to be a corporate client state of America (as many Western corporations lust after the resources in Cuba. The Cuban people should control their own resources). Cuba has the right to be an independent nation and the embargo should end. Changes are coming in Cuba and we hope that Cuba will grow in a more progressive fashion. The Cuban people courageously overthrown the dictator Batista. We respect the resiliency of the Cuban people. Social activism is always important. This important story outlines the fact that we have an epidemic of rape in college campuses and throughout the Earth. Victims of rape exist among every background of humanity. We are in solidarity with the activists who want rape extinguished worldwide. We want any victim of rape or sexual abuse to receive support, counseling, and other forms of assistance, so the criminals are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. The protesters from Howard University are showing the world that rape is intolerable, that human rights must be maintained, and that No means no. No one has the right to violate another person's space. We own our own bodies and no human should own another person's body, mind, our soul. Transparency is important to advance and we will continue to fight against rape. We will never be silent and the truth is always real.

There are a lot of superlatives to describe Phife. He was the heart and soul of the Tribe Called Quest. He was the principal founder of the group since 1985. He was a man with a lot of will, determination, and character. The Tribe revolutionized hip hop music from its lyrical content to its inclusion of jazz plus other musical influences in the genre. Phife exemplified strength and courage. His life is about the expression of music and human compassion. His family and his friends have been by his side and real people send condolences to his family and friends. The legacy of the Tribe Called Quest is eternal. Groups and artists today copy Phife's wordplay and other aspects of his musical delivery. For years, I knew of his records and his contributions to music in general. He will be missed and no one on this Earth can replace his talent.
RIP Brother Phife.

It is historic for the President Barack Obama to visit Cuba. President Barack Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, Sasha, and Malia came into Havana. He is the first President to visit Cuba since the 1920’s (when Calvin Coolidge did it via a U.S. warship for a 1928 meeting of the Conference of American States). For decades, the embargoes and other restrictions have not worked to establish better relations between America and Cuba. The Cuba Revolution existed by people who opposed the dictatorship of Batista. Many in the mainstream media omit that Batista was a notorious dictator, funded by American corporations, and he violated human rights constantly. Fidel Castro led the Cuban Revolution to end the Batista regime. We have dealt with the Platt Amendment that allowed Washington to intervene in Cuban affairs and allowed the USA to seize Guantanamo Bay for its military base. So, we know that many elites in America want Cuba to be a puppet, client state of America. That’s wrong. Back in December 2014, both Raul Castro and President Barack Obama made an agreement to form a long term normalization of relations with Cuba. In addition to a formal meeting with Raul Castro, Obama intends to meet with “members of civil society” and “entrepreneurs.” Many people have hypocritically criticizing Cuba on human rights, but ignore how U.S. imperialism has created unending wars, covert interventions in the Middle East, and other evils that violate human rights. I do believe that the economic blockade of Cuba since 1960 should end. America and Cuba reached an agreement to restore direct commercial air flights between the two countries for the first time in 50 years, with virtually every major US carrier bidding for the 110 daily flights that are being allowed by the US Department of Transportation. The Obama administration has also given its approval for the opening of the first US-owned factory in Cuba in the more than 50 years since the government of Fidel Castro nationalized American properties and turned to the Soviet Union for aid following Washington’s attempt to veto even the most minimal reforms following the overthrow of the Batista dictatorship. This doesn’t mean that Cuba is perfect as no nation is perfect. Cuba has racial and gender discrimination. Many political prisoners are in Cuba. Yet, Cuba has successfully resisted U.S. efforts to overthrow their government for over fifty years. Their medical system is very strong and they have contributed to the African liberation movement in Angola. Cuba has universal, free health care, free education from elementary school to the post graduate level, high levels of political participation, housing, the elimination of illiteracy, etc. So, Cuba should receive great credit helping those of black African descent. Also, a great Sister Assata Shakur lives in Cuba today and Cuba has said that they will never extradite Assata to America, which is a great thing. “We made a decision to protect Assata in the past and that decision is not going to change. Thanks to our Revolution, the Cuban people will protect Assata Shakur," said Cuban member of Congress Kenia Serrano. Serrano has fostered close ties between Cubans and African-Americans and other oppressed national groups. Cuba should always be independent.

9/11 started many things. It began in the early part of the 21st century. It was one of the horrendous tragedies in human history. Almost 3,000 people of many races, creeds, and backgrounds were murdered by evil people on that somber day. 9/11 fully showed in plain view that evil is real and also our human rights, which are sacrosanct, must be protected and preserved regardless. There are many facts about what happened during 9/11 that must be shown. We won’t back down our quest to advance the truth. 9/11 certainly has been thought about by me every single day of my life. 3 states were attacked during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Numerous people from around the world remember the events vividly. I do too. In our generation, we know many key about what happened. There are notorious business connections between the Bush and Bin Laden family. There was a huge amount of disrespect shown by the powers that be against 9/11 rescue workers. Some in the EPA claimed at one time that the Ground Zero air was safe to breathe. Yet, that wasn’t the case and many courageous rescue workers died as a product of injecting poisonous air. We have seen the promotion of a truly independent 9/11 investigation to get to the truth demonized by numerous establishment media engines. We do know that corporate leaders owned the WTC complex and that the neo-conservatives used the attacks in 9/11 as a pretext to invade the Middle East and Afghanistan (along with the establishment of laws that compromised and violated our civil liberties in America). The West wanted to reshape the Middle East to gain its oil, gas, water, and mineral resources in competing against the Russian plus Chinese hegemonies. We know that the attacks were bigger than just blowback. U.S. allies gave specific warnings about terrorist threats in America using even airplanes as weapons. Many FBI agents who wants to follow up on these warnings were blocked by headquarters. Therefore, after 15 years since the attacks on September 11, 2001, we should reflect, investigate information, be inspired to stand up for our human rights in general.

So many emotions exist in the words of those who contemplate about the Revolutionary War. The Revolutionary War is an important part of our history. It lasted for many years during the latter part of the 18th century. It represented an end to a new era and a beginning of a new one. Also, globally around that time, Revolutions existed in Haiti, Latin America, and Europe. These revolutions wanted to end the oligarchic power base of the monarchy and form republics or more democratic style governments. The end of the Revolutionary War resulted in the birth of the nation of America itself. Today, people wear hats, sin songs, eat hot dogs, and view performances that celebrate and commemorate the American victory of the Revolutionary War. Yet, that war has a long, controversial history that must be shown to the general public. Both the British Empire and the early American colonies had slavery and racial discrimination during the 19th century. The lands of Native Americans were readily exploited, stolen, and harmed by imperialists (both from the British Empire and those colonists in America). The issues of slavery, empire, democracy, gender, a Republic, the Enlightenment, the Founders, etc. are part and parcel of the American historical experience. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and other people were diverse in their ideologies and political views. Yet, they were unified in their opposition to the British Empire and they desired the independence of the American nation. The good and the evil actions of many Americans must be made known. To start, America, by the beginning of the eighteenth century, was filled with colonies. These colonies on the eastern seaboard and the South were controlled by the British Empire. The evils of slavery and the genocide of Native Americans existed. So, the Revolutionary War occurred in a backdrop of many injustices and controversies. The Seven Year War was one reason (out of many) on why the Revolutionary War commenced in the first place.

An excellent, eloquent article was written by Tiffanie Drayton. Tiffanie Drayton has every right to vote in who she wants to. Hillary Clinton have called black youth "super predators" without apology and her husband increased the prison industrial complex during the 1990's. That complex ruined many lives of the black community. Hillary Clinton has been funded by Wall Street interests and also many neo-cons recently have supported Hillary Clinton too. Sister Tiffanie Drayton believes in political independence and that's great. We, as a black community, have a long way to go. We should form more unity as a people and increase the power of our infrastructure. Likewise, it is important to note that many black people have confronted intraracial violence, misogyny, and other evils. C. Delores Tucker and other activists confronted NWA's misogynistic and violence filled music. Constantly, marches, vigils, and other programs continue to fight intraracial violence as well in our community. I blame individual evil black people (not all black people) who do evil consciously. What I won't do is blame every black person collectively for all problems in the black community. We shouldn't beg for the respect of others (who hate us) to like us. We should use self-determination and enact grassroots organizing to fight poverty and build in our communities. Nothing will change unless we unify and confront poverty directly in our black communities. We do know that we have a long way to go. The battle is not won yet. We have much more work to do. Yet, it is inaccurate that no black person is making a difference. When one member of our community dies, there have been rallies and other forms of activism to confront gun violence and evil crime. Hillary Clinton has supported an imperialist foreign policy as well.

Patrisse Cullors story is certainly one that exists worldwide. First, she has shown courage to tell her hair experience in public. The way that she has her hair is her own business and her choice. Patrisse Cullors has given a great commentary on the versatility and beauty of black hair. Her points about the black poor shows how the black poor are still disrespected and exploited in our generation (just like back in the day. Many of the poor suffer hatred and oppression). The black poor are readily scapegoated for the crimes of the super wealthy as we know that the Western imperial system is the enemy. We are still fighting for the development of our communities. We are fighting for the end of the system of white supremacy, and we are righting to end imperialism and any injustice on Earth. So, Patrisse's story is a story of being free to express our hair in a diversity of ways without shame. Living life honestly and without shame is a blessing. Ultimately, we should be judged on the basis of the content of our character not our skin color or the disposition of our hair. That is precisely one important message that I take from the beautiful interview from Sister Patrisse Cullors. She, like us all, desire the liberation of all workers, the poor, and all oppressed peoples of the world. This Sister is actively fighting for the liberation of all black people regardless of background. I wish the best for her and Bless her.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

During the dawn of the 21st century in Black America, a new era existed. In times past, I wrote about information about black history from the past. Now, it is the time to show our history during the 21st century. It is vitally important to outline the facts of our current generation. There is a massive amount of black political leaders, celebrities, and other human beings. Yet, income inequality has increased and poverty plus educational neglect continue to be serious problems in our community in the year 2000. The Cold War is over. By the year 2000 the system of racism/white supremacy still oppressed black people globally. In the realm of the 2000 Presidential race, Al Gore faced off against George W. Bush. Al Gore tried to appeal to African Americans with his views of continuing Clinton’s legacy while Bush said that he wanted to promote a “compassionate conservativism.” We know about Clinton's legacy (which was not progressive, but centrist and reactionary in many cases) of increasing the prison industrial complex, the growth of low wage jobs, the bombing of Serbia including Iraq, NAFTA, and the promotion of the death penalty. Bill Clinton's policies from welfare reform to the Crime Bill have had harmed the lives of many black Americans. Most African Americans supported Al Gore while George W. Bush’s reactionary record was well known. Bush supports the death penalty, he refused to stand up against imperialism, and also Gore is tied to Clinton’s centrist agenda too. The election of 2000 was close and it was one of the closet elections in history. We know that thousands of black people were barred from voting in Florida and many of their voting records were declared void. Many Florida precincts, with mostly African American people, had ballots declared void by “technical reasons.” So, we had serious voting fraud done by the reactionary Republicans (as documented by journalist Greg Palast and other experts) in order to allow Bush to steal the selection of President. We know what the modern Republican Party is all about. They are a product of the 1964 Goldwater campaign, which opposed to civil rights being protected in the federal level. George H. W. Bush opposed the Civil Rights act when he unsuccessfully ran for the Senate in Texas back in 1964 (against the liberal person Ralph Yarborough. Yarborough supported Medicare, the Civil Rights Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Great Society). The GOP members are related to the Southern Strategy of Richard Nixon and Strom Thurmond (during the 1968 and 1972 elections). Many Democrats decades ago became Republicans to support right wing and racist causes.

There were disputes and lawsuits during the 2000 election. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 (in December 12, 2000. This was when I was 17 years old) to allow Bush to “win” the election. This outraged many in the country, especially black Americans. Only 8 percent of black people voted for Bush in the 2000 election while 90 percent voted for Al Gore. Members of the Black Congressional Congress in January 6, 2001 protested the Supreme Court decision in Congress. Vice President Al Gore confirmed the 2000 election results without protest or criticism. 20 black Representatives walked in the Congressional session in protest. Maxine Waters rightfully exposed the evil fraud of the 2000 election too. It was not only a sad day for Black America, but a sad day of democracy in general. I was a senior in high school during that time. The inauguration of President George W. Bush in 2001 was filled with protests and outrage. The new era of America (during the 21st century) began in the midst of controversy.

On January 20, 2001, Colin Powell was made the first African American to be the Secretary of State. Later, Condoleezza Rice would be the first African American Secretary of State in America. Like many people in the 21st century, both black people (who worked for the Bush administration) would exemplify great intelligence, huge accomplishments, mistakes, and profound controversies.

There can be no discussion about black people in the 21st century without a discussion about hip hop (whether people like it or not). Hip hop is a musical genre filled with many artists who express lyrics about consciousness and human growth while other artists have expressed anti-black lyrics, misogyny (especially misogynoir), materialism, a glamorization of violence, and other forms of bigotry. The June 2001 Hip Hop Summit was an event in NYC that was hosted by Russel Simmons (who had to apologize for his disgraceful action in mistreating Harriet Tubman) and other artists were the like Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaata, Grandmaster Flash, etc. The Summit desired to use hip hop artists and others to form political power that can change communities in a positive direction. A wide spectrum of scholars and social activists were in the summit like Martin Luther King III, Cynthia McKinney, Cornel West, Michael Eric Dyson, Tricia Rose, then NAACP President Kweisi Mfume, Louis Farrakhan, Benjamin Chavis, etc. The attendees agreed to focus on fighting for social justice issues which includes criminal justice matters.

From August 31 to September 7, 2001, “the UN World Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance” took place in Durban, South Africa. African Americans were supportive of the conference. The Conference condemned racism, discrimination, economic exploitation, and Zionism. There were debates about reparations for people of black African descent, the slave trade, and other important issues.

The Event that changed the World Forever

The attacks of September 11, 2001 changed the landscape of black people and he rest of the human race forever. I remember the attacks like they were yesterday. I think about 9/11 every single day of my life since that day. People of various races and creeds were brutally murdered by evil people during 9/11. Immediately, the age of the war on terror started. The African American community mourned the dead and continued to stand up for what is right (which is that no terrorist action will cause us to be Islamophobic or bigoted against people based on their ethnicity or religion). Immediately, George W. Bush used the attacks to promote in his own words a “crusade” against terrorism. While he has condemned Islamophobia in public, George W. Bush has used policies from the Patriot Act to random arrests of Muslims immediately after 9/11 which violated human civil liberties completely. In October 2001, the West attacked the Taliban in Afghanistan.

50 Years After Brown vs. Board of Education.

In 2002, Cynthia McKinney introduced the Martin Luther King Jr. Records Collections Act to promote transparency. Cynthia McKinney’s consistent progressive politics from opposing the NATO attack in Libya to standing up for justice is inspiring. Cynthia McKinney has supported housing rights, international solidarity with oppressed people, and she wants an end to imperialism. The Iraq War started in March 2003. It was a war so unjust and based on fabrications that people from across the political spectrum now readily saw that war as an evil error. The war was advanced by the neo-cons, especially those who signed the Project for A New American Century document (which is a blueprint of militarism). The Iraq War destabilized the Middle East. Since the beginning, a very high percentage of African Americans justly opposed the Iraq War. In 2003, the debate of affirmative action continues to grow and heat up. Affirmative action policies existed since the 1960’s while reactionaries want it to be gone, because they believe in a distorted view of individualism and ignore how racial structural discrimination still exists in our time. American society is not a total meritocracy. The Supreme Court case of Grutter v. Bollinger, he court maintained the race sensitive policy of University of Michigan (or using race as one factor in determining college admissions as promoting diversity). Also, the case of Gratz v. Bollinger decision, the Supreme Court overturned one affirmative action program at Columbia University. The mixed result of the cases hasn’t ended the cause of ending affirmative actions by conservatives. The fight for affirmative action continues. 2004 represented the 50th year Anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision which banned declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students to be unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896, which allowed state-sponsored segregation, insofar as it applied to public education. By 2004, there are still massive segregated schools in America in a de facto fashion. This has been talked about by Rodney Paige or the then Secretary of Education during the Bush administration.

Katrina, Rosa Parks, and Coretta Scott King

2005 was a year of sorrow and pain for Black America. The Hurricane Katrina disaster happened in late August 2005. Katrina caused tons of human being to die. Tons of homes were destroyed and the Bush administration including other entities did a horrible job in helping the victims of the natural disaster. Thousands of African Americans left in an exodus from Louisiana (and the Gulf Coast region) to Houston, Atlanta, and throughout America. FEMA did a terrible job in helping people. Lax infrastructure and bad policies from every level of government exacerbated the problems. Black people were slandered as “refugees” by many in the press. Corporate interests took public lands via privatization and gentrification. White racist gangs assaulted black people. Militarized police governed the streets and confiscated guns from even law abiding citizens in New Orleans. It was a disaster. On October 15, the Millions More Movement held its March in Washington, D.C. Also, Rosa Parks passed away in October 25, 2005. She passed away at the age of 92. She was greatly involved in Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955. Rosa Parks contributed a lot to the end of overt, legalized segregation in the USA. Rosa Parks was a courageous woman. She worked in the progressive Highlander School. Parks participated in activism nationally during the mid-1960s, traveling to support the Selma-to-Montgomery Marches, the Freedom Now Party, and the Lowndes County Freedom Organization. She also befriended Malcolm X, who she regarded as a personal hero. Parks took part in the Black Power movement, attending the Philadelphia Black Power conference, and the Black Political Convention in Gary, Indiana. She also supported and visited the Black Panther school in Oakland. Since the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we have progressive black people fighting for justice. Also, we have various black people who are in a privileged upper middle class layer who promote the status quo (involving black “capitalism” not black liberation), blame the poor, and support the status quo. So, you have the working class and poor majority of black people while there is a minority of the wealthy plus upper class part of the black community. We are defenders of justice not defenders of corporate privilege. Rosa Parks’ legacy is about promoting freedom and stand up against injustice. Her body lay in state in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, D.C. before interment.

Coretta Scott King passed away in January 30, 2006. For decades, she was a champion of civil rights and human rights. Before the 1960's, she supported equality, nuclear disarmament, pacifism, and economic justice. She believed in women's rights too. Over the course of her life, she has opposed apartheid that once existed in South Africa courageously. Over the last several days more than 157,000 mourners came to pay respects to Mrs. King who died of ovarian cancer on January 30 at the age of 78. The irony is that many people present in her funeral opposed what she and her husband stood for. George W. Bush was in the funeral and he curtailed civil liberties and advanced the Iraq War. Coretta Scott King was right to oppose the Iraq War. Many Presidents for decades in the later quarter of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st century, saw the growth of income inequality, poverty, and the increase of U.S. militarism. Southern Christian Leadership Council co-founder Reverend Joseph Lowery and others noted that Coretta Scott King had publicly opposed the war in Iraq, which he suggested had been launched on the basis of lies. In a clear reference to Bush’s attack on civil liberties former president Jimmy Carter noted that the Kings had been the target of “secret government wiretapping” and that the “color on the faces” of the victims of Hurricane Katrina had shown that the struggle for civil rights had not been completed. Also, during 2006, many Democrats capitulated and supported the agenda of war, wiretaps using warrantless means, welfare reform, etc. The struggle against racial oppression continues today in our generation along with the fight against capitalist exploitation too. Real equality ought to be established by not only defending democratic rights. It must be done by meeting the needs of the working people, the poor, the disabled, the unemployed, and the oppressed beyond the wealthy few.

Jena Six

In 2006, the Jena Six incident came about. This situation involved racial tensions in Jena, Louisiana. Nooses we hanged in the school area. The attacks in Jena, La., began after a Black student at the high school asked the principal at a school assembly if he could sit under the “white tree”—a tree in the front yard of the school where white students sit during breaks. The next day, three nooses in the school colors were found hanging from the tree. The students who hung them were initially to be expelled, but the superintendent of schools intervened and gave them a three-day suspension instead. Black students gathered under the tree to protest the decision. On November 30, 2006, the main building of the high school was destroyed by arson. On December 1, 2006, a private party was held at the Jena Fair Barn. Fights happened between white and black people. Later, Baker was attacked. The people accused of the assault are called Jean Six. They we in risk of receiving outrageously high sentences and that is why people came into Louisiana to protest this situation. Wallace and Bailey were the backbone of the drop-the-charges campaign that culminated in tens of thousands of people marching in Jena in September 2007. It is important to mention that black women stood in great numbers to defend the Jena Six. We owe black women our lives as all of human life comes from a black woman literally. Therefore, we always appreciate the wisdom and power of black women forever. Catrina Wallace passed away by murder. Yet, Catrina Wallace was one of the greatest activists in the Jena Six movement. She worked in community grassroots organizing and she was a strong Sister. RIP Sister Catrina Wallace.

The Great Recession

2007 was the start of the Great Recession in America. Corrupt policies from many Wall Street banks including other things (from predatory lending to costly unjust wars overseas) contributed to the recession. During the beginning of the recession, black Americans’ homes were foreclosured, wealth decreased, and black poverty grew. Unemployment in the black community would grow too during the early stages of the Great Recession. The myth promoted by some years ago is that the Presidency of Barack Obama eliminated racism and caused a post racial society. We don’t see that at all. There has been huge historic record support for Obama in 2008 and 2012. Yet, in some instances, African Americans have suffered worse now than before the Great Recession. Black unemployment has been in double digits through most of the Obama Presidency. Black college graduates are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as white college graduates. Census data show that the percentage of African American children under 6 growing up in poverty is at 38%. In the Midwest, black poverty is very intense in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and in Michigan. Black median income has fallen by 10.9 percent to $33,500 compared to a 3.6 percent drop for whites (with their median income at $58,000). 25 percent of black women don’t have health insurance. The Great Recession has harmed many black people. Still, reactionaries want to promote the myth of the “culture of poverty,” which blames poor people (not capitalism, racism, discrimination, bad Wall Street economic policies, and economic deprivation) for the crisis of poverty in America in general. On May 10, 2007, Alabama state trooper James Bonard Fowler is indicted for the murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson on February 18, 1965. On June 28, Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 decided along with Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education prohibits assigning students to public schools solely for the purpose of achieving racial integration and declines to recognize racial balancing as a compelling state interest.. By December 10, 2007, the U.S. Supreme Court rules 7–2 in Kimbrough v. United States that judges may deviate from federal sentencing guidelines for crack cocaine.

The Age of Obama

Also, 2007 was the time of a new political era. On February 10, 2007, Barack Obama announced his candidacy for President of the United States in front of the Old State Capitol building in Springfield, Illinois. The choice of the announcement site was viewed as symbolic because it was also where Abraham Lincoln delivered his historic "House Divided" speech in 1858. Barack Obama was a Senator of Illinois. In that historic speech, he talked about energy independence, reforming health care, the economy, opposing the Iraq War, and leadership. He is an eloquent speaker and he proclaimed himself as a progressive. He defeated Hillary Clinton in the primary of Iowa. By 2008, his popularity grew and he defeated John McCain in the 2008 Presidential election. In 2009, President Barack Obama was inaugurated as the first African American President in American history. It was a historic time. Later, President Barack Obama has shown a more neoliberal agenda. He has executed both good policy decisions and bad policy decisions (especially in the bailouts to Wall Street and a hawkish, imperialist foreign policy with his drone policies, etc.). His passage of the Affordable Care Act is a mixture of good and bad parts in it causing a new shift in health care policies. This is why people want an expanded health care system where universal health care is made for all not just for the middle class and the rich. In 2009, Michael Steele was made the Republican National Committee. In the same year of 2009, President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In the start of 2010, a new decade comes about. On July 19, 2010, Shirley Sherrod first is pressured to resign from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and immediately thereafter receives its apology after she is inaccurately accused of being racist towards white Americans. On August 3, 2010, Fair Sentencing Act was passed, which reduced sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine to an 18:1 ratio. In 2011, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is established on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Many corporate sponsors funded the ceremony, but the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was against corporate power and he criticized capitalism explicitly. He was for social justice throughout his life. In 1966 King confided to his staff:

"You can't talk about solving the economic problem of the Negro without talking about billions of dollars. You can't talk about ending the slums without first saying profit must be taken out of slums. You're really tampering and getting on dangerous ground because you are messing with folk then. You are messing with captains of industry. Now this means that we are treading in difficult water, because it really means that we are saying that something is wrong with capitalism. There must be a better distribution of wealth, and maybe America must move toward a democratic socialism..."

Dr Martin Luther King Jr. even called the U.S. government the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today in his Riverside Church speech of April 4, 1967. In November 19, 2010, Kenneth Chamberlain Sr. (who was a black man) was killed. In February 26, 2012, George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida. This evil crime represented a new era of the debates of racism, vigilantism, and police brutality in this century. The trial lasted for a while and Zimmerman was voted not guilty by a mostly white jury in 2013. Protests existed nationwide. Barack Obama won the 2012 Presidential election against Mitt Romney and the President has his second term. In Mach 9, 2013, New York police officers shoot 16-year-old Kimani Gray, triggering weeks of protests in Brooklyn. In May 9, 2013, Malcolm Shabazz was killed Mexico. He was the grandson of Malcolm X and Malcolm Shabazz knew about consciousness, imperialism, racial justice matters, etc. The FBI continues to try to arrest Sister Assata Shakur. One of the most evil events in 2013 was when the U.S. Supreme Court in June 25, 2013 (a date that will live in infamy) overturned part of the 1965 Voting Rights Act (or Section 5 of the act being gutted). In July 13, people protested nationwide over Zimmerman being called not guilty.

In 2013, a new group develops called Black Lives Matter. It was formed as a hashtag and then it expanded into a nationwide plus international movement to fight police brutality, racism, poverty, discrimination, and all injustices in the world. Black Lives Matter exists now in protests, meetings, civil disobedience, and other actions. They merge the actions of old school civil rights groups, with the pro-black message of the Black Power movement along with them using the power of technology (or social media) in their actions. Its founders are 3 black women who are Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. These founders believe in defending the rights of black people irrespective of background. On July 17, 2014, Eric Garner died in Staten Island, NYC after the police officer put him an illegal chokehold for 15 seconds. Medical workers didn’t immediately try to save his life. The death of Eric Garner caused protests nationwide.

The Young Generation asserting Itself

The truth is that many young black people are social activists in our generation. The corporate media doesn’t report readily on this fact, but tons of black people are working day in and day out in mentorships, combating police terrorism, standing up for racial justice, and developing solutions in the black community. The Dream Defenders for years have stood up against imperialism, zero tolerance policies in schools, patriarchy, and other evils. The Black Lives Matter movement since 2013 has stood up against the criminal injustice system and police brutality. Hands Up United, Black Youth Project, and other activist organizations have not only lead protests in America. They have been involved in discussions, standing up for black liberation, and realizing that we are all in this together. The Black Immigration Network also has done great work to defend immigrant rights and to show the truth regardless of our nationality or place of birth, we are one black people. We are part of one community. According to Sister Opal Tometi, there are about 500,000 undocumented black immigrants in America. There are about 11 million undocumented immigrants nationally in total. Black immigrants have been detained by the feds and many lack job opportunities and face discrimination in the workplace.

We have the right to speak up about these issues and make changes. The nefariousness of respectability politics have been combated by those who believe fully in social justice. It is very important to end the incarceration state, to invest in poor communities especially, and to expand adequate housing and jobs for human beings. We want poor people (not just the middle class and the rich) to have access to universal health care and healthy foods too. The state apparatus has oppressed us for a long time, and that is why progressive alternatives to deregulated capitalism, imperialism, the prison industrial complex (as black people and others have been readily raped, assaulted, abused , etc. in prisons nationwide and worldwide. Solitary confinement is still common in many facilities as well), and bigotry must exist for all. Regardless of our nationalities or backgrounds, we are black people and we want justice and human liberation.

The Age of Ferguson and Beyond

The events in Ferguson changed Black America and the world forever. On August 9, 2014, Michael Brown was murdered by police Office Darren Wilson (who slandered Brown and called him a “demon”). He was killed in Ferguson, Missouri. The prosecution had conflicts of interests and one person was a racist involved in determining whether changes would be made against Wilson. Immediately, demonstrations occurred and the rebellion happened in Ferguson for many days. The “Hands Up, Don’t shoot” expression was popularized. People of many races stood in solidarity with Michael Brown’s family and friends. The Black Lives Matter movement grew and in 2015, Freddie Gray died in police custody.

His body was twisted by the offices and no immediate medical assistance came to his aid. He died on April 19, 2015. Freddie Gray was only 25 years old. Later, protests came about in Baltimore and the rebellion in Baltimore existed in 2015. We see how the police military occupation of Baltimore only ended back in May of 2015. We see that the mayor, the city council, and the city is majority African American. A large group of black people working together is always beautiful. In real life in early March of 2016, I recently traveled into Baltimore. I have been to Downtown Baltimore and throughout the city from Russell Street to Wambash Avenue including Liberty Heights Avenue. I’ve seen stadiums, I have seen Mondawmin Mall, I have been on Pennsylvania Avenue, and I have seen many Brothers and Sisters in Baltimore including my relatives (who live in Baltimore). So, we see these problems as a result of racism (as Baltimore experienced massive segregation decades ago) and class oppression. In history, there are some people, who have a stake in defending their property and wealth and overseeing a system that produces ever-greater poverty for black and non-black workers alike. For over five decades, Baltimore have seen the deindustrialization of major manufacturing centers like Baltimore, combined with an unrelenting destruction of social programs. Therefore, it is necessary for us to see that oligarchy is the enemy and we want black liberation, so total human liberation is a reality. In 2015 alone, at least six Black women have been killed by or after encounters with police. The Say Her Name movement also has done a great job in defending the human lives of black women. Not only are black men being murdered, but black women are being murdered too. Alexia Christian was shot and killed by the Atlanta police in 2015. Natasha McKenna was tasered to death by the police in Fairfax. Alberta Spruill, Rekia Boyd, Shantel Davis, and other black women have been killed too.

2015 also represented the 60th year anniversary of the Selma movement and the Voting Rights Act. Ironically, we are still fighting against regressive voting ID laws in states across America (not just in the Deep South). On June 27, 2015, the heroic Sister Bree Newsome took down the Confederate battle flag on the grounds of the South Carolina State House. This came after a murderer murdered innocent black people in a Charleston, SC Church. Bree Newsome was arrested and she scaled a 30- ft. police. She lowered the flag and she was arrested along with a person helping her named James Ian Tyson. People in crowd applauded Newsome’s great efforts. By July 10, 2015, the Confederate flag was removed from the grounds of the South Carolina State House. It was sent to the South Carolina Confederate Relic Room and Military Museum. The taking down of the flag was a historic moment in our history.

The University of Missouri protests are another recent example of black people using progressive activism in fighting for real change. The University was found in Columbia, Missouri. For years and decades, black people talked about the massive racism and discrimination in the University of Missouri. Even black university facility talked about experiencing racism. Payton Head used his Facebook post to complain of bigotry and racism in the campus. He said that in an incident off campus, unidentified people in the back of a passing pickup truck directed racial slurs at him. Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin called the incident "totally unacceptable" on September 17 Student protests happened in September 24, 2015. Later in October of 2015, the student group "Concerned Student 1950" was created; referring to the first year the University of Missouri admitted black students. More racist incidents occurred in the university. This caused Johnathan Butler to have a hunger strike in November 3. He won’t eat until the President resigned. Butler was active in the Ferguson protests against the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown. The events of Ferguson inspired him to use social activism. On November 8, black football players announced they would not practice or play until Wolfe resigned, potentially costing the university a $1 million fine if they had to forfeit an upcoming game against Brigham Young University. Wolfe resigned at the end of 2015. Many protests existed in other university with similar demands of racial justice as found in Ithaca College, Yale University, Smith College, Claremont McKenna College, Amherst College, and Brandeis University. So, we should know that this is a class struggle too as economic justice is important to advance too. The Justice of Else march in October of 2015 came 20 years after the Million Man March. The Justice of Else march included people of color, women, and people of various creeds and backgrounds. It also included more young people. So, regardless of how people feel about various leaders, the struggle continues. Recently, hip hop lost one of its pioneers during late March of 2016. There are a lot of superlatives to describe Phife. He was the heart and soul of the Tribe Called Quest. He was the principal founder of the group since 1985. He was a man with a lot of will, determination, and character. The Tribe revolutionized hip hop music from its lyrical content to its inclusion of jazz plus other musical influences in the genre. Phife exemplified strength and courage. His life is about the expression of music and human compassion. His family and his friends have been by his side and real people send condolences to his family and friends. The legacy of the Tribe Called Quest is eternal. Groups and artists today copy Phife's wordplay and other aspects of his musical delivery. For years, I knew of his records and his contributions to music in general. He will be missed and no one on this Earth can replace his talent. RIP Brother Phife.

In 2015 to 2016, the Flint, Michigan water crisis has harmed black people and other people too. We have mainstream TV shows including movies that degrade black people that we must never support. We have many black families suffering poverty. Also, we have tons of black people doing what is right, helping families, and fighting for social justice too. So, in 2016, Black America has experienced good and bad news. We are in a crossroads in our history. The lessons of community organizing, being anti-imperialist, and fighting for equality are lessons that we follow and love. We are fighting for all black people in the world to be free and have justice. We will always keep our eyes on the prize.

Conclusion to the Spring 2016 Series

For a long time, we have heard one big myth. That myth is that we have to be "pragmatic" in order for us to get what we want. During the 19th century, the evil laws of the Fugitive Slave Act and the Missouri Compromise were formed in the realm of "pragmatism." Even some token laws were formed involving civil rights under the guise of "compromise." Yet, the Civil War, the Underground Railroad, and slave revolts are the antithesis of compromise. The Voting Rights Act (which repudiated racist nullification statues of bigots) was also the antithesis of pragmatism too. Our black ancestors never bled and died for the existence of pragmatism. They bled and fought for justice, so their descendants can live in a land filled with justice and social tranquility unequivocally. So, we tried the neoliberal pragmatism for decades in America. It doesn't work. We need revolutionary change where there is social justice, racial justice, environmental justice, and gender justice. We want to live in a society where there is not only living wages for all, but we want universal health care for all (which exists in many industrialized nations).

It is a total injustice and a disgrace that the residents of Flint, Michigan has to pay such an exorbitant amount of money for poisoned water. The residents of Flint are not only the victims of a poisoned water supply. The folks involved in the tragedy have used a cover up (in dismissing the courageous actions of whistle blowers like professor Marc Edwards of Virginia Tech, who was one of the first to expose lead in the water of Flint, and Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, who is a great woman helping society) in order to cover up their tracks. This blatant injustice once against proves that unregulated capitalism is not only evil, but it has ruined the lives of so many people (including black and poor people. Most of the residents of Flint, Michigan are black people). Austerity doesn't work either. People who are involved in this evil are among many levels of government not just the state government. The anti-democratic emergency manager system has overtly violated the human rights of the people of Flint and people from areas all across Michigan. Infrastructure must be rebuilt and pipes must be replaced. Billions of dollars are spent for warfare overseas, yet some people refuse to spend even millions of dollars to help the citizens of Flint. Flint has been a victim of deindustralization, rate hikes, and high foreclosures. The water crisis started in part, because some people wanted to cut corners and fund the bailout of bankers in Michigan at the expense of the water safety of people. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD), used revenue from water bills to pay budget shortfalls. Studies have documented that water privatization in many places of America has harmed quality, efficiency, and other processes of delivering water to human beings. High lead levels exist in cities throughout America as well. E-mails show Michigan state officials knew of Legionnaires’ outbreak in Flint in early 2015. The decision to stay on Flint River water was made by Emergency Manager Jerry Ambrose. In March of 2015, after nearly a year of public complaints about the water quality Ambrose overruled a Flint City Council vote to return to Detroit water system. Ambrose flatly refused the Council’s request. Governor Snyder, Darnell Earley, and others must be held accountable for their actions. We abhor class oppression. The more facts that come out about this crisis, the more outrage people legitimately are expressing. The Emergency Manager Law must be repealed outright. Anyone involved in the poisoning and the cover up must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law (and sent into prison after due process). We want justice and we desire just treatment given to the human beings of Flint, Michigan.

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About Me

I'm a young adult learning new information and finding the truth. Over the years, I'm becoming more meek. I will still defend my beliefs though when it is necessary. I am 33 years old now. I like living in Hampton Roads. Hampton Roads is apart of Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. I live in the 7 city group of Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News, Hampton, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach. Yorktown, Williamsburg, Glocuster, Cape Charles, Elizabeth City, Currituck, Sussex, and Poquoson are apart of Hampton Roads as well. So, I don't forget those important places as well. I enjoy looking at religious information, conspiracy fact information, and politics. Additionally, History is a subject that I delve into. If you have any comments and questions, you can email me at truthseeker2436577@yahoo.com. I'm usually very apt to respond to emails easily. This is a non-censorship blog so your comments will never be censored here.